Cerro 8!!!

 GLad to hear that everyone is still doing well and super busy, VAM´ ARRIBA BINGHAM BASEBALL! GO get em Matt! Im pulling for you guys down here, I hope everything goes well! Today has been super crazy, it is the last pday of the change and all the Montevideo zones have permision to go to the temple. So we went!! It was amazing! I havent been in six months and it makes such a big difference! The only problem is that we are the farthest away,  litterally on the opposite extreme of Montevideo, so we got up early and rode on a city bus for a hour and a half to get there. Then we just got back a little bit ago. I don't want to ride buses again for a long time....but it was totally worth it!! 

This week has been great though, the big highlight is changes......I am going to be Elder Gonzalez´s last comp! We are staying together! We are both super excited but both feel kinda goofy thinking that he ends this change and that I'm not that far behind him. It really doesn't feel real because it goes by so fast and every change goes by faster! But we are super pumped to keep working in Cerro 8! This week was great, we had the confirmation of Graciela who is soooo happy! It has been amazing to see the change in her before and after, she is so much happier and I dont really know why! (Alright I do know why but it has been such a drastic change that it has been a shock to us too) Her dad never let us go to her house but he wanted us to come by to meet him this week and so we went kinda nervous, she lives is a pretty rough spot of the nighborhood, and we got there and there was a sketchy group of guys on the corner, and the dad came out and yelled all the rules that he was going to put for us to go, but he will let us go to there house now which is progress! (But we did get out of there at marching speed;) We had awesome visits with Juan this week, he is basically quit smoking which has been a miracle in and off istelf, and has full-heartedly accepted all the other commandments, and is progressing soo well! The only thing was that this week his grandma was hospitalized in a emergency and he had to spend the night and Sunday morning watching her so he couldn't go to church but we talked with him and everything is good, we are just going to have to push his baptism back a little bit, but it is all going to work out. I love this guy so much! Also, update on Katy, she is doing sooo good!! She reads and studies so much and everytime we go to her house she has more questions and is learning so much! She just wants more, she is progressing so well still, I love it! 

We are doing great here and are sooo excited for this next change, I know that the work is being hastened and that we need to be the instruments in His hands!! I love you guys so much, thank you for everything!!
Love,

Elder Degn

Baptism!! (May 11, 2015)

Hey kids it was sooo awesome to see you all yesterday!! I love you guys so much! The truth is that I kinda felt weird thinking that it was the last time, I think my mind has accepted the fact that I will always be in Uruguay. It doesn't make sense going home, it's weird I know, but we will just see what happens I guess. This week was really amazing! Our area is really pumping super well right now, the highlight of this week was the baptism of Graciela! It was awesome to see her happy and content to be able to take this step that she has wanted to take for a long time. The program went well and it was great to have the family of Elder Toledo present as well. 

We also are super excited for Juan who is progresing soo well right now! He has been reading a ton in the Book of Mormon and has gone to everything for the past three weeks. He is excited for his baptism in two weeks and we are just working on teaching him everything that he needs to know to be baptized. We are also trying to help his mom, she is there but isn't quite convinced yet. (Its because she doesn't read the Book of Mormon) but she supports him and everything, so that helps a ton! 

Honestly, I don't really have anything more to say, we covered it all yesterday...that would be so efficiant every week right? Haha joking, just joking;) For reals though, I love you guys soooooo much and loved seeing you! I love what I do and I KNOW that this church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God. Thank you for everything that you do for me!!
Con todo mi amor

Elder Degn

ps. Graciela!!

Bowling Champ!!!

Hey guys whats up!? Happy almost Mothers day!!! Alright jk but I am also really excited to talk to you guys too this sunday! Today we headed out again to the centro with Elder Toledo because it is his last Pday so we went around as he wanted, buying goodies and playing bowling! Im sooo excited to go and play bowling again! I had to break a little of the rust off in the beginning but I ended up coming out on top! Gonzalez surprized me by playing very well and it was really close but I came through in the clutch in the last frame. It is so weird being with Toledo in his last week, he was suposed to end last change but he extended so he ends right now. His family is coming to get him from Chile, and we are going to be having a little bit of a ward hoedown with them all on Thursday, then he leaves to go visit his other areas with his family. Im really excited to get to meet them, and then say by...haha but it will be awesome for them, everyone loves Toledo. 

This week was SOOOO awesome!!!! We are working with a a couple of really awesome families that are progressing super good, but this week we had some aweosome charlas!! Our number one investigator is Juan who I told you about last week I think, he came to all the activies last week and we visited them this week and he absolutely blew our minds. We drilled them pretty good to read the book of mormon and he said that he started, read a couple pages, felt dumb for reading a book, set it down, and then he said it happened. He said that he had the craziest feeling that he could not describe that entered in his body and told him to keep reading. He read half of first nephi that night and when we got there he explained so well the first thirteen chapters to us and we were both sitting there with our jaws hanging open...the spirit is the best teacher there is!! We invited him to be baptized and he answered ´¨ What do I need to do?" He was ready to do anything and everything! He came to church again and is helping out his mom a ton as well! I am soo excited for him!! He is such a boss! 

We also got back into contact with our other investigator Graciela that we lost contact of the other week and had a really good charla as well. She was getting all ready to be baptized before we lost her, and so we talked and she is all set, she is going to get baptized this thursday by Elder Toledo, the missionary that found her a year ago when he was in this ward for the first time. Awesome right? They are both pretty excited! Us too, she understands the gospel and commandments so well for someone that is getting to know the church. Her life is really tough, but she does a really big effort to be obedient to all of the commandments and to read the book of mormon, which she has almost finished. Above everything she is a big example to me for the effort she makes to do what she does. Thursday is going to be a awesome day!

There are a lot of people that we are working with to help them progress and that in this moment have a lot of potential and we are so excited to see where this next week takes them!! I love where I am and I love what I do! I know the Book of Mormon is the WORD OF GOD and that it was written for our day. IT IS THE KEY!!! 

I love you all so much and am so grateful for all that you do for me!! 

Love you guys! See you on Sunday!!!
Elder Degn